Electronic article surveillance (EAS) includes the tracking and/or detection of items that are warehoused, inventory-controlled, and/or located at a retail establishment. EAS is achieved by applying an EAS element as part of a security tag to the item, or its packaging, and when the security tag is exposed to a predetermined electromagnetic field (e.g. pedestals located at a retail establishment exit), it activates to provide some type of alert and/or to supply data to a receiver or other detector. In the EAS industry, a “hard tag” refers to either a re-usable or disposable tag which is intended to be removed from merchandise at the point of sale, and then to be re-used on other merchandise or simply thrown away. Hard tags typically are constructed to contain an EAS element, which may be, for example, an acousto-magnetic element (AM), a radio frequency element (RF), or an electro-magnetic element (EM). Tags may also be constructed to contain a radio frequency identification (RFID) element, which may respond at low, high, or ultra high frequencies.
An EAS element may include a resonant circuit with a coil coupled to a capacitor. The EAS security element is tuned to a predetermined frequency and if one attempts to remove the hard tag with the security element from a store, an alarm triggers as the tag passes through a surveillance field created by a transmitter and receiver located between pedestals at the store exit, tuned to the same frequency. The alarm goes off as the EAS element resonates, providing an output signal detected by a receiver, also located in the pedestals.
An RFID element typically includes an integrated circuit (IC) and an RF LC circuit (resonant circuit) or antenna (e.g. a dipole antenna), tuned to a predetermined RF frequency. Often, the integrated circuit (IC) comprises memory that has been programmed with information associated with the article (e.g., product ID information such as a serial number, unique identification number, price, etc.). When a transmitter emits a signal at the predetermined RF frequency and threshold value which is received by the tuned antenna, the RFID element emits a signal containing the stored information which is then received by a receiver and the information demodulated from the element-emitted signal. This information can then be used for, among other things, determining whether to set off an alarm or not. The RFID tag may also be used for merchandise visibility and inventory control, to identify where a tag and associated product are located or where they have moved to or from within the store.
In alternative to an EAS element embedded in a hard tag, the hard tag may be equipped as a benefit denial tag. A benefit denial tag typically includes ink releasing elements, such that when an attempt to break the tag from a product is performed, glass vials of ink shatter within the tag, ultimately leaking about the product which devalues the product and likewise provides notification to the retailer that that particular merchandise was tampered with.
Retail stores typically utilize only one of the above security technologies in a hard tag for application to products. The hard tags are typically applied to the external portion of merchandise so that it is visible to both the potential customer and retail employee. The visible hard tag serves as a warning that the merchandise is tagged with a security element. The hard tag is made visible as a reminder to the store employee to detach the hard tag once the customer has paid. The surface of the hard tag is often one color. To many retailers, the hard tags are considered a visual hindrance and distract from the presentation of the merchandise. Since the hard tag must often remain externally attached to the merchandise for the reasons described above, it would be advantageous to provide indicia for inclusion with the hard tag for display to the customer or for utilization by the retail employee.
What is needed is a device and method to supplement a security hard tag with indicia, such as for example promotional advertisements. An advertisement clip may be affixed to a hard tag including visible indicia such as advertisement promotions, pricing, merchandise information, or customer specific branding. The advertisement clip may contain indicia intended for use by the store employee, such as a barcode. The visible indicia may be in the form of an image that may diminish the visual hindrance of the hard tag when attached to merchandise. The advertisement clip may be affixed and removed by the retailer or merchandise manufacturer to update the indicia, as for example for a particular sales event.